Masking structure for bowling alleys



p 1943- E. .J. CLOUTIER 2330268 MASKING STRUCTURE FOR BOWLING ALLEYSFiled Nov. 29, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l/lll/l//l l l INVENT OR.

Sept. 28, 1943. E. J. CLOUTlER 3 2 MASKING STRUCTURE FOR BOWLING ALLEYSFiled Nov. 29, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Sept. 28, 1943 MASKINGSTRUCTURE FOR. BOWLNG ALLEYS Ellery J. Cloutier, Muskegon, Mich.,assignor to The B'unswick-Balke-CollendenCompany, Chicago, lll., acorporation of Delaware Application Ncvember 29, 1941, Serial No.420,&326 i 6 Claims.

This invention relates to equipment for bowling alleys and it isparticularly concerned With the structure at the end of the alleyadjacent the pit.

One object of the invention is to provide an artistic and effective maskfor the pin setting mechanism when a device of this character isemployed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mask or shield adjacentthe location of the pins and adapted to support or enclose illuminatingmeans for concentrating the light on the pins.

A further object of the invention is to provide a screen which'substantialljy conceals the pin boy' from the View of the bowler, whileaffording means through which the pin boy can observe the bowler andthus govern himself 'so as to cooperate most eficiently.

In general it is an object of the invention to dramatize the game andenhance interest therein by providing a setting for the pins in whichthe light is concertrated upon them and in which adjacent mechanismnecessary to the game is concealed or' so arranged as not to distractthe attention of the bowler during play.

the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, as indicated at line l-lon Fig. 2 and showing a masking unit embodying this invention as mountedin relation to the end portion of a bowling alley including the pitthereof and the pin setting mechanism associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the end portion of a bowling alleyequipped with a masking unit embodying this invention, the floor' of thealley being indicated in section.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantally as indicated atline 3-3 on Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail section as indicated at line i on Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail section taken as indicated at line 5--5 on Fig. 4.

'Although I have shown in the drawings, and shall herein describe indetail, a single form of the invention, I do not intend; to limit theinvention to the particular form shown, but aim to cover allmodifications and alternative Constructions coming within the scope ofthe claims.

Figs. 1 and 2 show the floor of the alley at I with upstanding sidewalls 2 which guard the area on which the bowling pins stand. Thegutters are indicated at 3 and one of the return tracks for the bowlingball is partially shown at 4 on Other o-bjects and advantages willappear from Fi'g. 2. The pin setting apparatus, of which enough is shownfor identification, includes a basket'or carrier 5 into which the boWlngpins' are thrown by the p'in boy and in which they are more or lessautomatically' arranged in proper position for resetting on the alleyfloor ,I. Supporting means for the carrier 5 includes upright posts 6Secured to the guard'walls 2, together with brace members 'i andtransverse tubular frame members 8 which support guide brackets 9 inwhich guide members n recijp'ocate when the carrier 5 is raised orlowered by means of a hand lever ll. Fig. 1 shows the carrier in itselevated position and in dotted outline indicates the posi- ,tioninwhich the 'bowling pins are leit by the carrier in readiness for thebowler*s play.

Beyond the end of the alley floor I is the depressed section at l known`as the pit, which is provided with a back wall cushion !2 to receivethe impact of the bowling ball and any pins which may be driven acrossthe pit. A shelf or seat is usually provided to accommodate the pin boyduring play, such seat being somewhat elevated above the floor of thepit in a relatively safe position.

The subject matter of this invention includes the vertical screenelement 28 and the outwardly and' downwardly curved maskng element 30which is associated therewith; these parts are' dimensioned toeffectively conceal the pin setting: carrier 5, in its elevatedposition, and mechanism associated with it, but the screen 20 is soconstructed that the pin boy shall be able to see the bowler as hedelivers the ball. In the construction illustrated, this is renderedpossible by constructing the screen element 20 as a frame over whichthere is stretched a reticulated member ZI,

' preferably of Wire mesh. The front surface of the screen, which isVisible from the bowler's end of the alley, includes transverse bars 22spaced at intervals so as to leave substantial areas 23. through whichthe pin boy can see the bowler. Each individual area 23, however, isrelatively small in proportion to the total area of the screen and thespaced bars 22 are preieraby given an ornamental finish of bright coloror `metallic plating so that they command attention rather than thescreened areas, and it becomes comparatively difficult to see throughthe screen from the outer side which is presented to the players andspec tators. i v A convenient type of Construction for the screenelement 25 includes side frame members 24 to which there are securedvertically extending angle bars 25. The wi-re screen material ZI mayextend over the forward edges of the side members 24, as seen in Fig. 4,and may be secured thereto in any convenient manner as by tacks 26extending into these wooden rame members 24. Each of the ornamental bars22 is held in place by small plates or washers 21 secured to the anglemembers 25 by bolts 28, the bar itself being in the form of a rail whichis concave in cross section and has its marginal portions 29 inturned tolap under the edges of the washers 21, as shown in Fig. 5. It may beunderstood that the masking element may be made in sectional units, eachequal to the width of one or two alleys, but that ordinarily, where theinstallation includes several alleys side by side, the masking elementswill be connected end to end to form a substantially continuous screenover the end portions of all the alleys of the group. As indicated inFig. l, the screen element 20 is Conveniently supported by uprights 40attached to the upper edges of the guard walls 2; brace members 41extending from the supporting structure for the pin setter serve tosteady the frame 28 in upright position.

The curved masking element 30 consists of formers or end frames si whichmay be made up of wooclen pieces having suitably curved contours tosupport an outer covering 32 of plywood or other sheet materialornamented with a trim rail along its lower edge and trim strips 34 atits lateral margins. Other ornamentation may be appled to the outersurface of the curved panel 32 if desired. This curved mask or awningeffectively conceals the pin carrier when the latter is elevated out ofthe Way in preparation for the bowler's play, but to allow forconvenient access to the carrier 5 for inspection or repair the unit 30is attached to the screen 20 by hinges seen at 35 in Fig. l, so that itmaybe swung upwardly and propped up in that position temporarily whenoccasion requires.

Fig. 3, which shows a portion of the bowling floor i in plan view,indicates in dotted Outline at 50 the forward portion of the areaoccupied by the bowling pins when they are set up. To illuminate thepins, the masking unit 30 is shown supporting a pair of tubular lamps36, which may be of the fluorescent type, and an additional incandescentlamp 31 directly over the middle of the alley. suitable reflectors at 38and 39 are provided for the lamps, so as to concentrate the lightdownwardly on the bowling pins, and wiring connections 'or the currentsupply may be carried in conduits such as that shown at 42 supported atthe inner side of the masking unit in any convenient manner. Fig. 2shows a signal device comprising a panel 43 which may be illuninated todisplay the word "Paul" by means of an automatic mechanism which is nota part of the present inventio'n, and which is associated with the foulline at the "approach" end of the alley; the screen 20 furnishes aconvenient support for this signal where it will be in full View of thebowler and will readily come to his attention at the time of delivery ofthe ball, as well as being visible to other players and spectators.

The screen 20 and the associated structure 30 thus cooperate to form asightly and effective masking unit by which the pin setting mechanismand the pin boy, himself, are substantially concealed from the bowler'sView so as not to distract his attention, while the masking unit afordsa convenient location for the illurninating means which further assiststhe bowler to concentrate his attention on the pins.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a masking structure for a bowling alley extending across the alleyand upwardly from a line spaced above but adjacent the upper ends of thebowling pins as set up for play, a portion of said structure beingcomposed of reticulated material combined with opaque bars spaced apartto form elongated sight openings in said material through which a personat the pit may observe a person at the approach end of the alley.

2. In a bowling alley having a pin setting mechanism which includes acarrier movable between upper and lower limits, a masking structureextending across the alley with its lower edge spaced above but adjacentthe upper ends of the bowling pins as set up for play, said structureextending upwardly in position to screen the carrier rom view when atits upper limit, an upper portion of said structure above the upperlimit of travel of said carrier having sight openings through which aperson at the pit may observe a person at the approach end of the alley.

3. A masking structure for a bowling alley comprising an upper,vertically disposed portion spaced above the alley and extending acrossit at a position forward of the pit, and a lower portion curving forwardand downward from the lower margin of said upper portion at a positionto mask the pin carrier of the pin setting mechanism in its raisedposition, said upper portion having sight openings through which aperson at the pit may observe a person at the approach end of the alley,the sight openings oi the upper portion being provided by an area ofreticulated material combined with horizontally extending opaque barsspaced apart to form elongated windows of said reticulated material.

4. A maskng structure for a bowling alley comprising an upper,vertically disposed portion spaced above the alley and extending acrossit at a position forward of the pit, and a lower portion trendingforward and downward from the lower margin of said upper portion at aposition to mask the pin carrier of the pin setting mechanism in itsraised position, said lower portion being hingedly mounted for swingingupwardly from its normal position.

5. A masking structure for a bowling alley which includes a pit for apin boy at one end and an approach for a player at the opposite end ofthe alley, said masking structure being permanent'y fixed in positionand extending across the alley upwardly in a substantially verticalplane from a line spaced above but adjacent the upper ends of thebowling pins as set up for play, with sight openings in said structurethrough which a person at the pit may observe a person at the approachend of the alley.

6. A masking structure for a bowling alley which includes a pit for apin boy at one end and an approach for a player at the opposite end ofthe alley, said masking structure being fixed permanenty in a positionextending across the alley and upwardly ina substantially vertical planefrom a line spaced above but adjacent the upper ends of the bowling pinsas set up for play, a portion of said structure being of reticulatedmaterial through which a person as the pit may observe a person at theapproach end of the alley, the outer surface of said material beingprovided with contrasting color means rendering the screen substantiallyopaque to a person at the approach.

ELLERY J. CLOUTIER.

